


Can't Run From the Fun Tonight

by katzaren



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Carlos's POV, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Found Family, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Romance, except doug and jane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27394993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katzaren/pseuds/katzaren
Summary: Carlos is nervous about being Ben's date for the Halloween masquerade party. Thankfully Ben has a pleasant surprise for him.
Relationships: Ben/Carlos de Vil, Mal/Uma (Disney)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	Can't Run From the Fun Tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [enchantedrcse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantedrcse/gifts).



> For Tami. All our talk of Descendants ships inspired me to write this! This was supposed to be up on Halloween, but it took me a little longer than expected. Hope you like it!

Carlos didn’t know whose idea it was for Auradon’s annual Halloween gala to be a masquerade, but he owed them a huge thank you. He never would’ve had the courage to go to the party otherwise. Halloween wasn’t really a thing on the Isle of the Lost. In fact, the villains were offended that the Auradon heroes would dress up like them once a year, a whole night to make fun of the people King Beast had imprisoned.

But in truth, the event wasn’t as bad as they said it was. Sure some people dressed up as villains, but most had fun with their costumes.

“Everything okay?” Jay asked, adjusting his tie in front of the mirror in their dorm room.

“Yeah, I’m pumped.” Carlos gave him a thumbs up.

Jay laughed. “Dude, you’re shaking.”

“Sorry.” Carlos rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. “Just nervous about going with Ben. I still can’t believe he asked me.”

Jay nudged his shoulder. “Why wouldn’t he? You guys are dating. Besides, you’re a total catch.”

“We’ve only been together a couple months. What if he changes his mind about me? What if he thinks my costume is too much and I’m a total weirdo? Oh, no. I should have gone with the prince costume instead.”

“Hey.” Jay grabbed his shoulders. “It’s gonna be okay, Carlos. Ben likes you for you. You don’t need to dress like a prince to keep his attention. He likes that you’re different.”

Carlos nodded. “You’re right. I just need to relax. It’s going to be a blast, and all our friends will be there. It’ll be nice to hang out with everyone.”

Jay grinned, showing off his sharp veneers. He had four of them, one over each canine tooth. His hair hung in loose waves down his back, mostly brown with a few strands dyed maroon. After he attached his wolf ears to his head, he asked Carlos to help pin his tail on the back of his suit.

A sophisticated werewolf. Carlos wished he had thought of that.

A knock sounded at the door. Carlos jumped, for a moment fearing it was Ben, but he reminded himself they had agreed to meet at the party. Still Carlos was relieved to see Mal and Uma at the doorway, arm in arm.

Jay greeted them with a bow, his wolf tail swishing. “Evening, ladies.”

Mal scoffed, flicking her sleek green hair over her shoulder. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Sir Wolfington the Third at your service.”

Mal pursed her black painted lips, unimpressed. Her green velvet dress draped over her slim frame, the pointy witch hat and black wedge boots making her appear taller than usual. She towered over Uma, who was dressed as a sea goddess in a shimmering blue jumpsuit and seashell sandals, a gold crown rising from her head like antlers.

“What is taking so long, Jay?” Uma asked, crossing her arms. “Harry and Gil have been asking about you for an hour.”

Jay laughed and ran a hand through his hair, nearly knocking his wolf ears out of place. “Hey, perfection isn’t easy. I’ll be down in two shakes of a tail.” He wagged his fake tail back and forth for emphasis.

Uma rolled her eyes, scowling. “Whatever. We’re heading to the party.” She grabbed Mal’s arm.

“You both look nice,” Carlos said, holding his cloak closed so they couldn’t see his outfit.

“Thanks,” Mal said. “I was tempted to just wear a shirt that said ‘costume,’ but Uma convinced me it would be more fun if I dressed up.”

Uma scoffed. “Convinced? You jumped at the chance as soon as I said you’d make a cute witch.”

Mal laughed, draping an arm around Uma’s shoulders. They headed down the hallway, arguing playfully.

Carlos closed the door and leaned against it, relieved to have peace and quiet again. He just needed a moment to compose himself before he finished getting his costume together.

Jay adjusted the ripped sleeves on his jacket. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“I just need a minute,” Carlos said, twisting his charm bracelet. “Still need to do my eye makeup. You can head over to the party if you want.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Take your time.” Jay leaned against the desk and pulled out his phone, presumably to text Harry and Gil that he was running late.

Carlos focused on breathing in and out slowly. Tonight was going to be great. He wasn’t going to let his anxiety get the best of him. And if he did get overwhelmed, Jay said he would walk him back to their dorm room. Everything would be fine.

He pulled out his makeup kit and worked on applying his eye makeup in front of the mirror. It took a few minutes longer than he thought it would, but he wanted to make sure it was perfect.

“Okay, ready,” he said at last.

Jay hopped to his feet, sliding on his gray silky mask. “Great, it’s gonna be a howler.” With that, he threw back his head and howled like a wolf.

...

Carlos took a deep breath, adjusted his mask, and stepped into the ballroom of Auradon Castle. The Auradon kids weren’t dressed in their usual bland pastels. Tonight everyone went all out with an explosion of vibrant and dark colors.

He recognized several people through their masks. Chad was dressed as a king, to no one’s surprise. Lonnie wore a split costume: half knight, half princess. Doug was dressed as Peter Pan, and his girlfriend Jane was Tinker Bell, her hair tied up in an adorable bun.

From what Carlos had seen last year, Auradon kids tended to dress like an exaggerated version of themselves. Only a few dared to wear the costumes of the dangerous villains Auradon still very much feared.

Jay patted Carlos on the back and headed off to greet his boyfriends. Harry was dressed as a vampire, fake blood dripping from his lips, and Gil was a witch, complete with a lacy black dress, pointy hat, and replica wand. Whoever had done his makeup did a phenomenal job: a vibrant, smoky eye look. His blond curls bounced across his shoulders as he ran to embrace Jay.

Carlos slipped through the crowd before the guys could see him. He was still hoping not to be recognized, at least not until after he found Ben. The plan was to meet him under the balloon archway, but dozens of people were gathered there to chat away from the dance floor.

He texted Ben and stared at his phone for several minutes, but no reply came. Carlos walked over to the drink table, hugging his cloak to his body so no one would step on it. He was relieved to see they had a stack of straws on the table. That would make it a lot easier to drink with his mask on.

The DJ killed the music to introduce a live performance. Mal and Uma walked onto the stage, waving to the crowd. The iconic intro music of “I Put a Spell on You” played across the speakers, and the girls started to sing. Carlos had been offered the chance to perform with them as the third witch, but he’d turned it down because he wanted this night to be about Ben.

Everyone cheered for Mal and Uma. Carlos could hardly believe that just six months ago most of the Auradon kids still sneered at them. So much had changed since they saved Auradon. Carlos and his friends were heroes now. The barrier was still up, but Ben had invited all the VKs from the Isle to attend Auradon Prep, with the option to visit their families on weekends.

Mal started singing “Keep Your Head on Halloween, ” which was ironic since Carlos felt like he was doing the opposite. He took a sip of his punch, soothed by the sugary taste. To distract himself from worried thoughts, he looked at the other costumes around the room. Lots of people were dressed as fairies, royalty, and animals.

A deep chill ran through Carlos as he saw a dalmatian fur coat and frizzy black and white hair. No, she couldn’t be here. His mother was still on the other side of the barrier. Ben had made sure of it.

On closer inspection he discovered it was Audrey’s grandmother wearing a costume. (Still the most frightening person there.) She was chatting with Ben’s parents, who wore their usual regal attire.

Carlos had half a mind to go over there and ask if they’d seen Ben, but he was way too nervous and they’d know who he was the moment he talked.

He checked his phone again. Still no reply. Ben wouldn’t have stood him up, would he? Man, Carlos just wanted to go back to his room and stay there forever. So many people were pressed together dancing and talking far too loud, excited by the live music. Carlos was sweating, and he felt like he could barely breathe.

Uma was singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and several of Carlos’s friends had joined her onstage to play her minions. Jay was one of them unfortunately so Carlos couldn’t ask him to walk back to his room with him. Maybe if he just went outside to get some air. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

Carlos weaved his way through the crowd and ran out into the cool night air. The music and sounds from the ballroom faded to a slight hum. Carlos leaned against the castle wall, feeling like he could finally breathe again.

He would go back into the party whenever Ben texted him. He just had to be patient. Ben wouldn’t stand him up. Absolutely not. He’d texted that he was there an hour ago and where to meet him. Carlos was the one who was running late.

He fiddled with the charm bracelet Ben had given him for his birthday. The charms included a dog, his signature crossbones, a beaker, a laptop (that even opened and closed!), and the crown crest of Ben’s family. Carlos treasured the gift since it was clear Ben had put a lot of thought into it.

His phone dinged and Carlos was relieved to see Ben’s name across the screen. His text said to meet him by the staircase. Carlos headed back inside and down the hallway.

...

A lone figure was leaning against the staircase. He had his back to Carlos, so he could only see a long black cloak and slicked back brown hair.

Doubt started to creep into his skin. What if this wasn't Ben at all and he made a total fool of himself by tapping on his shoulder? He wished once again that he had agreed to meet Ben at his dorm room earlier instead of at the party. It would’ve been so much easier.

Carlos walked up to him, nervously clearing his throat. “Hey.”

The stoic figure turned to him, immediately breaking character when he saw him. “Carlos, there you are!”

Carlos’s jaw dropped. Ben had a white mask over the upper portion of his face and a black cloak draped over his elegant suit.

“You watched it?”

Ben laughed. “Yeah, you’ve been telling me the Phantom of the Opera was your favorite musical for months. I actually watched it a couple weeks ago with Chad, but I wanted to surprise you.”

Carlos couldn’t stop smiling. He had surprised him all right. “You look, you look really good.”

“Not as good as you. Your costume is amazing.”

“If we hadn’t agreed to meet here, would you know it was me?” Carlos asked curiously.

Ben tilted his head, considering him. “I don’t think anyone else would recognize you, but I would know you anywhere.”

Carlos felt like he would melt on the spot. “Oh, that’s, uh, that’s great.” He was so glad he was wearing a mask to hide his blush.

“So are you some kind of nature spirit?” Ben asked.

Carlos beamed. He couldn’t believe Ben got it right away. “Yep, I’m the king of the forest. Bow before me.” He gripped the edges of his cloak and held his arms out to show off the inside of the cloak, which he had painted with trees, foliage, and forest critters.

His costume consisted of tight green pants under brown boots, a green formal vest painted with light green swirls over a black collared shirt, and a wooden mask painted to look like tree bark. He wore a long black wig that Evie’s girlfriend had helped him find and a necklace with a gold leaf at its center. The space around his eyes was visible so he had on thick black eyeliner with eyeshadow in gold, green, and silver. Like he was the magical embodiment of a tree.

“You look...breathtaking.”

Carlos felt like his heart would burst. How did Ben always manage to make him feel so amazing?

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Carlos said, twirling the soft curls of his wig.

Ben pulled Carlos close, his lips inches away from his. “Sing to me, my angel of music.”

Carlos shivered, his heart thundering in his chest. “Isn’t it ‘sing, my angel of music’?”

Ben laughed. “I was trying to be romantic.”

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to mess you up.” Carlos wanted so badly to kiss Ben to make up for it, but his wooden mask covered too much of his face.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ben said with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty more opportunities tonight.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Carlos was eager for Ben to sweep him off his feet. It wouldn’t take much to make him swoon.

“Now may I have this dance?” Ben held out his hand to him, the perfect gentleman.

“Of course.”

Carlos took his hand, and they made their way to the dance floor. They picked a spot at the back of the ballroom, away from the crowd. The live music had ended and the DJ was playing a nice slow song.

Ben placed his hands on Carlos’s waist, and Carlos wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck. They started off simply swaying back and forth before Ben transitioned the dance into a waltz, leading him with ease. Carlos felt more and more confident with each step.

“You know,” Ben said, “I’m completely in awe of your costume and makeup skills. You really did all of that yourself?”

Carlos ducked his head, pleased. “Yes. Last year I didn’t really do much since it was my first Halloween, so I wanted to go all out this year.”

Ben laughed. “And here I was worrying I would be overdressed.”

“You were worried?” Carlos asked, surprised.

“Of course. I didn’t want you to think I was a fool for dressing up, so I thought if I picked a character from something you liked, you would at least appreciate that.”

“Wow.” Carlos knew Ben was human, of course, but sometimes with him being the king, he forgot that Ben had normal worries too.

“Is that a good ‘wow’ or an I’m a total idiot ‘wow’?” Ben asked, his gaze focused on Carlos. His steps had become less confident and he missed a beat of the dance.

Carlos squeezed his hand. “It’s a really good wow. I love that we both dressed up, but I would’ve been happy even if you didn’t. Just the fact that you showed up means the world to me.”

“I wish I could kiss you right now.” Ben smiled shyly, biting his lip.

He was so adorable that Carlos couldn’t wait a moment longer. He untied his wooden mask and hung it from his belt loop, then wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck and pulled him in for a long kiss, no longer caring that people would recognize him.

Ben’s lips were soft, tasting of his favorite chapstick. Carlos bumped his nose into Ben’s mask, so he angled his face a little better and deepened the kiss. He heard whistling and a wolf howl in the background.

When they finally parted, Carlos saw everyone was cheering for them. Warmth flooded his face, but he didn’t feel the need to put on his mask again. Being with Ben made him feel fantastic, and he was so glad Auradon accepted them. Cruella De Vil never would, but he had a new family here.

They continued dancing, and most people went back to what they were doing. It was a relief not to be the center of attention anymore, though Carlos still caught some people sneaking peeks at them.

Jay gave Carlos a toothy grin. He was wrapped between his boyfriends in a slow dance. Mal and Uma were laughing by the refreshments table, oblivious to everything going on around them.

Evie and Audrey were locking lips in the corner, both dressed as pop stars. Celia and Dizzy were chatting at a table with plates stacked high with candy, clearly excited to be at their first Halloween party.

Everyone just looked so happy tonight, and it made Carlos feel like he was home. He could have never had any of this on the Isle. Sure maybe Mal and Uma would’ve made up and found each other. Jay could’ve reconnected with Harry and Gil. But for Carlos, and Evie too, true love could only be found in Auradon.

...

After the song ended, Carlos and Ben made the rounds, catching up with all their friends. Ben spent a long time talking with his parents while Carlos watched Harry attempt to start a dance battle with Uma. 

Jay saved him from an embarrassing defeat by literally sweeping him off his feet and carrying him out of the ballroom. Carlos laughed as Gil ran to catch up with them.

“Smart boy,” Uma said, observing her nails. “I would’ve crushed Harry like a bug under my boot.”

Carlos chuckled. “No doubt. I think Harry added a little something to his punch.” He’d definitely seen him with a silver flask earlier.

She sighed. “I’ll let it slide for tonight since it’s Halloween, but I am definitely giving him a stern talking to tomorrow. I’m not gonna let him become a pirate stereotype.”

“Oh, looks like your boyfriend’s looking for you,” Mal said, nodding towards the dance floor.

Carlos whirled around to see Ben trying to make his way through the crowd. Everyone wanted to get in a few words with their king, it seemed.

“Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve gotta go rescue him.” Carlos gave Mal and Uma quick hugs before rushing into the crowd.

He wrapped his arm around Ben and started spouting a nonsensical story about a chinchilla he saw outside the dorm rooms. He was able to pull Ben out of the crowd. The DJ abruptly changed the song to an Auradon favorite, and the crowd rushed towards the stage to watch Mal and Uma lead the Enchantress Slide dance. Carlos sent them a wave of thanks.

“Can we get out of here?” Ben asked.

“Of course,” Carlos said.

“Fancy coming up to my room for a bit?”

…

Carlos always felt guilty when they had to leave early because he was anxious, but this time they were leaving to take care of Ben. It felt good to have the roles reversed for once, and he was looking forward to cheering his boyfriend up.

Ben plopped down on the couch in his room, setting his mask on the side table. Elbow on the arm rest, he leaned his head in his hand. “I like people, but not when they swarm me like that.”

“Oh to be famous and loved by everyone.” Carlos gave him a playful smile and pulled a glass jar from the shelf. “Hot chocolate?”

“Yeah, sounds great.”

Carlos plugged in the electric kettle and clicked it on. He sat down next to Ben and took his wig off. It was getting hot under that thing.

Ben let Carlos’s head rest on his shoulder and laced his fingers through his. “I love being with you, Carlos. You just get me. I like that I don’t have to explain myself to you all the time.”

Carlos hadn’t thought about that much. It didn’t make sense that the son of a villain would understand a king and yet, he did feel like he understood Ben very well. There had always been an unspoken connection between them, from the moment Ben helped him get over his fear of dogs to the moment Carlos helped remove the thorn in Ben’s paw when Audrey cursed him. They had always been there for each other as friends, and it made a lot of sense for them to be together now, despite their obvious differences.

“I’m lucky that I have such good friends,” Carlos said, “so I can’t say you’re the only person who really gets me. But you’re the only person who makes me feel this way.” He clutched his chest, comforted by the fast thrum of his heartbeat.

The electric kettle clicked, and Carlos rushed over to pour boiled water over the chocolate powder. He mixed them with a spoon and dropped a few mini marshmallows into the mug.

Carlos set Ben's hot chocolate on the side table. "Here you go, Mr. Phantom."

Ben laughed, grabbing Carlos's hand and pulling him onto his lap. "You even remembered the marshmallows. Gosh, you really are the sweetest." He wrapped his arms around him and squeezed tight.

Carlos found himself wishing he would never let go. "Thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun at the party."

"I'm glad." Ben kissed his shoulder. "I was worried it might be too soon to go to a public event together. You know how my people can be."

Carlos snorted, remembering the elaborate signs the Auradon girls made supporting Ben and Mal when they were together. They did seem way too invested in their king's love life. "Only a matter of time before our faces are plastered in a heart on someone's T-shirt."

Ben chuckled. "I wouldn't mind that so much. It's the paparazzi that worries me."

"Yeah, me too," Carlos said, frowning. He had agreed that their relationship should be public because he didn't want to live with the fear of waking up to a magazine article exposing their secret. It was better this way, but Carlos missed the days when he could go anywhere with Ben and no one paid it any special attention. Now eating lunch together in the cafeteria was considered a date by the press.

"Are you okay with it? With me?" Ben asked, his voice soft. "I know I come with a lot of unwanted attention. It was too much for Mal, which I completely understood, I don't blame her at all. But...is it too much for you?"

Carlos squeezed his hand. “Maybe sometimes, but it’s worth it since I get to be with you. My life will always have ups and downs. But being with you makes the bad days bearable and the good days even better.”

“Are you sure? I really like you, Carlos, and I want to be with you, but I don’t want to ruin your life.” He turned his head away, eyes downcast.

Carlos gently guided his chin so Ben was looking into his eyes. “You aren’t ruining my life, Ben. Far from it. You’ve made it so much better.”

Ben’s shoulders went slack. “Good. I’m sorry I’m so tense tonight. Chad and Doug said some things which made me worry.”

“Forget them. I’m here with you right now, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” Carlos leaned in to press his forehead against Ben’s, taking comfort in being so close to him.

Then Ben’s lips found his.

“Your hot chocolate will get cold,” Carlos said, breathless.

“I don’t care.” Ben kissed him again. “You made it to cheer me up, but this is working much better.”

His fingers wound through Carlos’s white curls, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Carlos leaned into his touch, happiness bubbling up inside him. This was where he belonged, right here with Ben by his side.


End file.
